Make plans to get exercise while staying at home

With the current Stay, Home Stay Healthy order, many people are exercising at home.

As the weeks rack up, as people follow the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to help mitigate Coronavirus, people spending most of their time in their homes should find some time for exercise or physical activity.

However, an effective exercise plan will require some planning.

“It’s hard enough to work out at a gym, it’s harder to work out at home,” said Jessica Johnston, owner of Rain City Fitness in Arlington.

For exercise, she recommends that people establish a time to work out and establish a space at home to exercise.

Tapping into online resources can help the health-conscious finesse their exercise routine.

When Gov. Jay Inslee instituted the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order in March, Rain City Fitness, known for private personal training classes, group fitness and nutrition coaching, started developing workout videos that are available to members. Trainers at Rain

How hand washing helps fight infection

There are many ways to avoid infection, but few might be as simultaneously simple and effective as handwashing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps a person can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. While skeptics might question just how big an impact handwashing can have, the science behind washing hands paints a pretty strong picture of just how beneficial this particular component of personal hygiene can be. How germs get you sick

The CDC notes that feces from people and animals are considerable sources of germs, including salmonella and E. coli. These germs can get onto people’s hands after they use the toilet or change a diaper. People who handle raw meats may also be exposed to such germs, as these foods can contain invisible amounts of animal feces on them. The amount of germs contained in small amounts of feces may come as a shock. Research published

Protect yourself against COVID-19 and other diarrheal and respiratory illnesses, and help prevent the spread of germs to others, by following these simple hand hygiene guidelines:

1. Wash your hands with soap and warm water, lathering for at least 20 seconds. 2. If soap is unavailable, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol to clean your hands.

Wash your hands throughout the day, and particularly under these circumstances: • Before preparing food • Before eating • After using the toilet • After changing a diaper or helping a child use the toilet • Before and after exposure to someone who is sick • After coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose • After touching an animal or picking up animal waste • After handling pet food or treats • After handling garbage or garbage cans • Before and after attending to a cut or wound

Information resource: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Proper handwashing helps all of us stay healthy, so remember to be aware and do your part to help protect yourself and others!

in the Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal found that a single gram of human feces weighing about as much as a paper clip can contain one trillion germs.

According to the Snohomish Health District, proper handwashing can prevent the spread of a variety of diarrheal diseases, respiratory ailments and skin conditions including salmonella, norovirus, influenza, pertussis, ringworm, impetigo, MRSA and the common cold. What does handwashing do?

With so many germs floating around, it may seem as though something as simple as handwashing couldn’t be nearly as effective as it’s said to be. But the CDC notes that handwashing removes germs from hands, thereby removing an easy way for germs to enter the body and be passed on to others. For instance, many people habitually touch their eyes, nose and mouth without thinking twice, and doing so provides an easy way for germs to enter the body via the hands. By washing their hands, people can cut off this easy entryway for germs.

Handwashing also presents germs from entering the body while eating. Germs from unwashed hands can get into people’s food and drinks, and can even multiply in some foods and beverages, potentially contributing to illness.

Washing hands also prevents the spread of germs by preventing them from being transferred from hands to handrails, table tops or toys, where they can then spread to other people’s hands. When to wash

The Snohomish Health District recommends washing hands after the See HANDS on page 15